“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” – Romans 5:3

In your patience possess ye your souls.” – Luke 21:19

Whenever
anyone in a Christian gathering mentions the need to pray for patience, you
generally hear people sucking in their breaths before offering bits of wisdom as
to why you should never pray for patience, which boils down to this: asking for
patience means asking for trouble in the form of tribulation. The word
“tribulation” is something the post-modern church avoids like the plague. After
all, the very thought of a Christian having to suffer some form of tribulation
casts an ominous and dark shadow over settled souls, and especially so for
those who smugly insist that everything that Christians think, speak, or do has
to be “positive.” Surely there must be a magic formula somewhere to help us
become pristinely patient without having to endure any form of tribulation!

While
thinking on the subject of tribulation and patience, the old hit song by Doris
Day came to mind. Some of you may remember the words “Love and marriage, love
and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage…” As Christians, I think we
could well change the words to “tribulation and patience go together like the
proverbial horse and carriage. Tribulation” in Greek is “thlipsis” and means
pressure, affliction, anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble. Who
among us has not felt pressured to conform to this world, or to give in to the
flesh? Who has never suffered affliction, or anguish, or experienced trouble? Who
has never been burdened by the cares of this life? Christians all around the
globe are suffering persecution for their faith, and there has also been a
subtlety rising tide of persecution in America, although, so far, not yet on
the same scale as other countries where the blood of Christians is shed. As we
discern the times we live in, we can definitely see and hear not only
tribulation and trouble all around us, but we can watch it spreading over the
whole world.

One
recent headline captures the essence of the war against Christianity in
America, such as: “The Left Tries to Ban Christianity in Texas: Sudden Spate of Bills
Exalts LGBTQ Ideology Over Rights of Christians” (CBN News, January 24, 2019). The
noticeable and insistent rising tide of anti-Christian sentiment in America is
becoming both unnerving and shocking for those of us who have lived all of our
lives enjoying the freedom of religion our Constitution guarantees us. But now
powerful and sinister dark forces are working day and night to overthrow the
Christian underpinnings of this nation through treacherous falsehoods,
deception, and satanically inspired covert conspiracies. As we watch the escalating
persecution of Christians in China taking place, as well as other places in the
world, one cannot help but wonder how long it will be before American believers
will be seriously targeted by God’s enemies. We all know the horrible
harassment and persecution some Christian florists and bakers have already suffered,
as well as others in the public-school system, the sports arena, and various
businesses. In addition, never underestimate the true goal of Islam according
to the Quran; that is, to eradicate every Jew, Christian and infidel on the
planet. The United States now has three Muslims in Congress. The question is, if
and when the day comes when all out persecution is directed at Christians in
America, is the Church prepared?

It
has been our observation through the years that the prevailing sentiment of
American Christians is “It can’t happen in America, and besides we’ll all be
gone in the rapture anyway.” According
to Voice of the Martyrs, millions of Christians around the world are persecuted
every day. We need to keep in mind that the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution” 2 Timothy 3:12. He also instructed, “Thou, therefore, endure hardness as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ” 1 Timothy 2:3. The Greek word for “hardness”
means to be afflicted, endure afflictions, suffer trouble. This is hardly what
the average church goer wants to hear these days because we live in the time
foretold in 2 Timothy 4:3, which
says, “For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own
lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” Such are those who operate in the realm of “easy believism,” “cheap
grace,” “positive confession,” and possess New Age philosophies, and who do not want to be bothered with receiving
a love for the truth. Truth is a sword that doesn’t satisfy “itching ears,” but
rather cuts to the heart of the matter. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart” Hebrews 4:12.

The
truth of the matter concerning that dreaded word, “tribulation” is simply that
no one escapes the reality of tribulation, trials and testing in this world. It
is a part of life, it is reality, and it is the result of the Fall in the
Garden of Eden. Yet, somehow mankind struggles and strives to find, or
establish through idiotic legislation, or outright despotism, his idea of the
Paradise he lost, and when he fails to do so, he blames God, and most often
takes it out on His followers. We can see this satanically-inspired insane
philosophy gaining ground in our nation through the extreme liberal socialist
communists. History bears witness to the fact that if this wicked seed continues
to take root and grow into full bloom, those of us who refuse to compromise
with the world, and the devil in order to “save our life in the flesh” can expect
to experience tribulation in the form of persecution. Our Lord warned His
followers when He said in John 16:33b, “In
the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.” Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that Jesus said, “If the world hate you,
ye know that it hated me before it hated you” John 15:18. In Matthew 10:22 He
told His disciples, “And ye shall be hated of
all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

When Paul and Barnabas returned to
Lystra, and to Iconium and Antioch, they were “confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue
in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom
of God” Acts 14:22. Paul knew that Christians would face persecution and
tribulation, and that if they were not properly discipled and grounded in
Christ they could very easily forsake their faith and deny the Lord. We see his
concern, and desire to encourage the new believers in all of his epistles, such as Colossians 2:5, 7,“For
though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and
beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have
therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built
up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding
therein with thanksgiving.”

Being “rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith” through
study and memorization of the Word, through prayer, obedience, and fellowship
with the saints is vital if we are to be prepared for the tribulations,
temptations and trials of the world, the flesh and the devil. Sometimes
preparation for hard times involves stockpiling food, water, emergency first
aid, survival gear, and etc. which can be helpful in certain situations, but
none of these things will save our souls or keep us to the end if we forsake
our faith in the Lord. Revelation 12:11, tells
us how to overcome, “And they overcame
him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the
death.” [Emphasis added.]

Jesus’
parable of the seed and the sower reiterates the fact that the good seed of the
Word must take root deep within our hearts if we are to, not only be prepared
for tribulation, but also patiently remain standing through it. He taught, “But he that received the seed into stony
places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation
or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended” Matthew
13:20, 21. The Apostle Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians, who were
going through afflictions, to establish and comfort them “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know
that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you
before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know”
1 Thessalonians 3:3,4.

There
is a lot of confusion in the church today concerning tribulation and what it
means for Christians. Some believe that a Christian should never have to suffer
any type of tribulation, such as Job did. These people cannot accept the fact
that Jesus never promised His followers a problem-free, happy, healthy, life in
this world. Based on Philippians 3:8,
which states, “Yea doubtless, and I count
all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but
dung, that I may win Christ,” A. W. Tozer wrote, “What has Christ to offer
to us that is sound, genuine and desirable? He offers forgiveness of sins,
inward cleansing, peace with God, eternal life, the gift of the Holy Spirit,
victory over temptation, resurrection from the dead, a glorified body,
immortality and a dwelling place in the house of the Lord forever. These are a
few benefits that come to us as a result of faith in Christ and total committal
to Him. Add to these the expanding wonders and increasing glories that shall be
ours through the long, long reaches of eternity, and we get an imperfect idea
of what Paul called, “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” To accept the
call of Christ changes the returning sinner indeed, but it does not change the
world. The wind still blows toward hell and the man who is walking in the
opposite direction will have the wind in his face. And we had better take this
into account when we ponder on spiritual things. If the unsearchable riches of
Christ are not worth suffering for, then we should know it now and cease to
play at religion.”

Consider
what Paul wrote to the “beloved of God,
called to be saints” (Romans 1:7a) in Romans
8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” The word “patience,” while
not explicitly mentioned in this verse is, nevertheless, the overshadowing
golden light of truth that stretches from time to eternity. First, we are
reminded that we are joint-heirs with Christ. Even though we have not received
the full inheritance yet, because we are still bound in these bodies of clay,
yet that is our spiritual position and literal, eternal reward. Thus, we
patiently “suffer with him” because we look to the time when we may be also
glorified together. Patience has an eternal perspective, and knows that the
sufferings through tribulations and afflictions in this present, temporary
world are like a small “puff” in the winds of eternity, and can never be
compared with the future glory that shall be revealed in us. James 5:10, 11 reminds us, “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have
spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of
patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience
of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and
of tender mercy.” These, and other verses on the subject of tribulation and
patience, are a problem for certain “Christian-in-name-only” folks who shun
carrying their own cross (and who much prefer to shoulder a lighter load—make
that a “Styrofoam cross” for show) and who long to be looked upon as a “prophet
of the Lord” but who wrongly preach that Jesus came to make us happy, healthy
and rich. Such preachers are nothing more than hyper motivational speakers
whose words are like gas-filled balloons which only stay afloat until the gas
dissipates, or the balloon is popped.

The
Apostle Peter asks, “For what glory is
it, if, when ye be buffeted for your fruits, ye shall take it patiently? But
if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is
acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” 1
Peter 2:20, 21. “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye:
and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord
God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that
asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” 1 Peter
3:14, 15. “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the
spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken
of, but on your part he is glorified” 1 Peter 4:14. Have you noticed the
word “happy” in James’ and Peter’s writings, which are associated with patience
and endurance?

Oswald
Chambers noted, “The things we try to avoid and fight against—tribulation,
suffering, and persecution—are the very things that produce abundant joy in us.
“We are more than conquerors through Him” “in all these things”; not in spite
of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in
spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, “I am exceedingly joyful in
all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4).”

Then
there is the subject of “The Great Tribulation” (as it has come to be known) at
the end of the latter days in reference to the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:21, “For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be.” Please note Jesus didn’t say “The” great tribulation
as if to distinguish it as a separate period of time which His people should
focus on to the exclusion of all else; neither did Jesus say that it was for a
seven-year period; neither did He say His people wouldn’t be dwelling in this
world during this great tribulation; nor did He say that this great tribulation
was the great and terrible day of the Lord (the wrath of God, Joel 2:1, 31; Revelation 6:17). In fact,
the next verse verifies that there will be believers living in the end time of
great tribulation. It says, “And except
those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s
sake those days shall be shortened” verse 22. [Emphasis added.] Revelation 6:9-11, “And white robes were
given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest
yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren,
that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” In all this we
learn that God has everything under control, and that regardless of what is
taking place, we need to continue to trust Him for the Bible says: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” Matthew
28:18-20. [Emphasis added.] Instead of looking around at all the ghastly
things taking place in this world and interpreting it to mean that Christians
are about to be secretly whisked off the planet, we must stir ourselves up to
obey Jesus’ commandments, for the end-time harvest is great. Souls are
perishing while we are busy trying to figure out how to avoid any tribulation;
yet, Jesus has all power in both heaven and earth, and He promised to be with
us “even unto the end of the world.”

Furthermore,
the church Jesus is returning for is sanctified and cleansed by the Word of God
“That he might present it to himself a
glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish” Ephesians 5:27. Is the visible
organized, institutional, banqueting, compromising, worldly church holy and
without blemish? NO! We all know that in order to be purified one must go
through the fire, and for the Christian that means the fire of persecution or
tribulation because there first must be a process of separation take place in
order to be an overcomer. To the Laodicean church Jesus said, “I counsel thee to buy of
me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that
thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and
anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.As many as I
love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” Revelation 3:18,
19. Peter wrote,“For the time is come that judgment must
begin at the house of God: and ifit first begin
at us, what shall the end be
of them that obey not the gospel of God” 1 Peter 4:17?

The
question is, what makes this “great tribulation” worse than the world has ever
experienced before? For one thing, never before in the history of the world has
there been technology that allows people to daily see and hear what is taking
place around the globe. While this keeps people informed to a point (especially
prophecy watchers) it also can cause a great deal of vexation of spirit,
sorrow, depression, anxiety, and heartbreak all of which is very troubling.
This is the mental and emotional pressure of tribulation. Surely Christians who
suffered through the time of the Inquisition, wars, and two world wars, the
Holocaust, as well as the persecution, suffering and slaughter of millions
under communism in China and Russia and other communist (and Islamic) countries,
The Killing Fields, and so forth, along with earthquakes, tsunamis, fires,
floods, mudslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, plagues, famines, etc. thought that
they were going through “The Great Tribulation.” In my opinion (for what it’s
worth) what sets apart this end times “great tribulation” could possibly be the
global zenith of the “mystery of iniquity” which is capable of destroying all
life on this planet; thus, God will shorten the days. No doubt this time of
great tribulation that is greater than any the world has ever experienced
before will not only be more extreme and intense than at any other time in the
history of the world, but it will be global in scale. (Again, this is not the
“wrath of God” which God’s people are not appointed to.)

God
in His great mercy and wisdom, and to encourage our hearts, gives us this
glimpse into heaven where we see the martyred saints, “And
one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in
white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And
he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” Revelation 7:13, 14. Oh! Tribulation and
patience! Perhaps not the most popular topic, but consider the rewards! “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and
their works do follow them” Revelation 14:12, 13. In
Daniel 7:25a we read concerning the
patience of the saints, “And he shall
speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the
most High, and think to change times and laws….”

Are you growing weary with the evil and insanity of this world
which is growing darker by the hour? If so, know that you are not alone. In
conclusion let me leave you with some encouraging Scriptures: “And they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the
stars for ever and ever. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but
the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the
wise shall understand” Daniel 12:3, 10; “And let us not be weary in
well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” Galatians 6:9;
“…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits”
Daniel 11:32.

My
hope is that the sincere desire of your heart, as well as mine, is to know our
God, to be strong, and to do exploits in these end days for His glory. Amen.